The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-06-18
SLAIN BECAUSE OF A DOG
SPANISH JOHNS" VICTIM DIES AT
THE CITY HOSPITAL.


THE CITY HOSPITAL.
Ennis Widow Tells the Story at the
Coroner's Inquest of Her Husbands
Fatal Meeting with the Spaniard--
Struck Down with Loaded Cane for
Stepping on Dog--Scenes at Ennis
Home.
Henry Ennis who was struck in the head
some time ago with loaded cane by John
Roderqui, alias Spanish John" died at the
City Hospital yesterday morning, and
Coroner Dixon held an inquest and examin-
eisthe few witnesses that could be fonnd
Miss T. Renker, hrs. Mary Cosgrove, and
Mrs. Mary CompSon, all three testified to
the same facts. They were sitting on a
piazza, on Mcclure and Indian streets, on
the night of June 5, and heard a dog bark
They looked around and saw man raise
his arm and strike something three times,
and the object that was struck fell to the
ground. They could not see whether the
man who did the striking had anything in
his hand for it was dark.
Mary Angloe, the keeper of negro
bagnio where the affray occurred, testified
that Ennis called to her and she ran out into
her yard, Ennis asked who the man who
struck him was. She inquired what man,
and he described his dress and said that he
carried a loaded cane. She told him that
was Spanish John"
CAUSE OF THE QUARREL.
Ennis then said to her that John had
accused him Of stepping on his dogs tail,
and then struck him with the cane. The
woman saw Spanish John" and had the
cane in her hand. 1t was a small black cane
with loaded head. She accused John of
striking Ennis, and wanted him to go to the
hospital where Ennis was taken and see
him, but he denied that he had anything TO
do with the affair, and said that he would
not go to the hospital
Mrs Annie Ennis, the wife of the dead
man, testified that Ennis came home on the
night of June 5, and that his head was
bloody. He told her that spanish john
struck him on account of dog.
The verdict of the jury was that the
deceased came to his death from the effects
of blow on the head made by some heavy
instrument in the hands of Roderqui, alias
ESpanish John, and the jury considered it
nanslaughter.
THE POST MoRTEM.
A post mortem was made by DR.. John d.
Martin, who attended the injured man. He
gave the Coroner a statement in which he
said that when Ennis was taken to the hos
pital the day after he was struck, he was
suffering from compression of the brain
The doctor trephlned the skull and found a
clot of blood under the dura mater. He re-
moved the clot and the patient began to i'm
prove, and for two or three days he was able
to take nourishment but afterward he began
to sink and kept sinking until he died The
post norton showed chat an abscess, the
size of a hens egg, had formed as result
of the disorganized clot, and the doctor had
no hesitation in saying that Ennis death
was the result of blow received on the
head
CAUSE OF DEATH.
The body was taken to the home of Mrs.
Ennis, but on account of the abscess decom-
position set in at once and the odor was so
bad that the Coroner determined to remove
the body to the cemetery to await burial.
He sent his assistant to the house for the
body, and there he found frightful scene.
The widow and three of her female friends
we're under the influence of liquor, and the
widow was vainly endeavoring to lift the
head of the body from the coffin to kiss it,
In her attempts to show her affection for
her dead husband she had covered her hands
with his blood, but this she did not heed.
Her friends stood by her, lending her their
aid and comforting her with their snGudlin
sympathy The house was filled with the
soiled doves of Yamacraw, and the death
was made the occasion of wholesale spree.
The Coroners deputy was compelled to
use force to remove the body.
A FRIGHTFUL SCENE
The women screamed and wanted to fight
him when he said he was going to take it
away, and when at last he did get it into
the wagon he had to drive in galiop to get
away from the crowd of women that started
after him. The body was in such condi-
ton that it could not be permitted TO remain
in the house. 1t was taken to the Cathedral
cemetery and viii be buried this morning.
: Roderqui is in jail under warrant issued
by Justice. Naughton, and will be held to
await the action OF the grand jury. He has
been known for long time as a dangerous
character Soon after tho affray in which
he struck Ennis he disappeared, but was
finally arrested by Police Officer Sullivan.
He is generally known us Spanish john